Wattles put on a show
Kings Park’s Acacia Garden was a delight to behold as we farewelled Winter and welcomed Spring.
Acacias are the largest group of woody plants in Australia, with over 1200 species occurring in habitats ranging from desert to riverine and displaying habits from groundcovers to trees. They comprise the largest native genus in Western Australia, with most favouring arid or semi-arid zones, hence the design choice of a dry watercourse for the hard elements of the Acacia Garden landscape.
Worldwide, the highest concentration is in WA’s wheatbelt. The Shire of Dalwallinu is dominated by acacias, with 185 species within a 100 kilometres radius – roughly equal to the number recorded in either the whole of Africa or the total in North and South America combined.
Dale Tilbrook has spent many years gathering cultural knowledge from her elders and other sources.
Wardandi Bibbulmun woman Dale Tilbrook , who is a WA Parks Foundation Board Director and Park Ambassador, passionately promotes Aboriginal history, art and culture with a particular interest in Australian Native Edibles.
As a Director of the Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery in the Swan Valley she is contributing to the Spring into Parks 2021 program with a bush tucker experience at Walyunga on 16 October.
Find out more about this event and book tickets here.
Meanwhile, Dale has kindly agreed to share this delightful wattleseed recipe.
Chocolate Wattleseed Biscuits
100 gm butter
¼ cup roasted wattleseed
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup plain flour
¾ cup cocoa
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tspn vanilla extract
100 g chocolate chips
Just cover 1/4 cup ground roasted wattleseed with hot water and leave to soak for 5 mins.
Soften butter and blend in the soaked wattleseed. Allow to stand.
Cream 100gm wattleseed butter and white sugar. Add 1 egg and mix well, add 1 cup plain flour, 3/4 cup cocoa, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tspn vanilla extract. Fold in 100gm chocolate chips.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place tbspn-sized balls of biscuit mix, evenly spaced, on the baking tray. Flatten slightly. Top with a sprinkle of unroasted wattleseed.
Bake in 180C oven for 8-10 mins.
